Bill O’Reilly: Obama should tell “gangsta rappers” to “knock it off"

The Fox News blowhard also thinks Michelle Obama should come on his show and tell teens to stop having sex

Published February 28, 2014 3:00PM (EST)

     (<a href="http://youtu.be/CvS8ZHAS2FM">Screen shot, Fox News</a>)
(Screen shot, Fox News)

Bill O'Reilly had Valerie Jarrett, long one of Obama's top confidantes and advisers, on "The Factor" Thursday night to discuss President Obama's "My Brother's Keeper" initiative, which is intended to improve the lives of young men of color. While O'Reilly commended the program for being "very well-intentioned," he nevertheless thought Obama could do better.

How? By scolding Jay Z, Kanye West and other "gangsta rappers," of course!

O'Reilly has long been one of the chief proponents of the idea that economic inequality and social injustice are, primarily, the result of its victims not acting like good people, and during his chat with Jarrett, he reiterated this long-standing conviction.

"You have to attack the fundamental disease if you want to cure it," O'Reilly said, referring to the "collapse of the traditional family." And the best way to save the family, O'Reilly said, was to get kids today to stop listening to that damned rap music.

"Now I submit to you that you're gonna have to get people like Jay Z, Kanye West, all these gangsta rappers, to knock it off," O'Reilly told Jarrett.

"Listen to me, listen to me, listen to me," O'Reilly said while interrupting Jarrett. "You gotta get them where they live. They idolize these guys with the hats on backwards, and the terrible rap lyrics and the drugs and all of that."

O'Reilly also had some ideas as to how Michelle Obama could best spend her time, if she wanted to improve the lot of young women: on his show.

"I want Michelle Obama to come on this program, right here," O'Reilly intoned. "And I want Michelle Obama to look into that camera and say, 'You teenage girls? Stop having sex. Stop getting pregnant. It's wrong.' Do you think she would?"

Jarrett demurred, noting that there are probably better ways for Michelle Obama to spend her time than on Fox News, but O'Reilly insisted that his platform was the way to go. "Do you know how many people saw [my] Super Bowl interview?" he asked. "Do you know how many?"

As a parting recommendation, O'Reilly told Jarrett that in order to "save lives" the administration must "incorporate what I'm telling you tonight" and "get really personal" with young people. As it stands, O'Reilly said, the administration was simply "not getting gritty enough."

You can watch this delightful O'Reilly segment below:

[h/t TPM]


By Elias Isquith

Elias Isquith is a former Salon staff writer.

MORE FROM Elias Isquith